Form or plate cylinder



March 31. 1925.

. 1,531,492 F. C. MARQUARDT I FORM OR PLATE CYLINDER Filed F'e'. 9', 1922 2 Sheets-61w l gut/ 4m 1 JINIVENTOR I F]; c. MARQUARDT FORMOR PLATE; CYLINDER Filed Feb. 7 9, 1922 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZ a/(Z MIVEIVTOR A TTORA/EK'? :Paterited Mar, .331, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrics FRANK c, MARQUARDT, or BROOKLYN, new YORK, Assienon. To AMERICAN Benn NOTE COMPANY, or new Yon-K, n. Y., A COBIPORATION ornaw YORK.

FORM on PLATE eymnnnn.

Application filed February 9, 1922 Serial no. 535,158.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK C. MAI:- QUARDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Brooklyn, in the city of New York, countv of Kings, and

State of New York have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Form or Plate Cylinders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to form or plate cylinders, and more particularly to a cylinder of this type for use upon under surface steel plate printing machines.

l-leretofore in this art ithas been the common practice to attach the previously formed, segmental, hardened, steel plates to the cylinder by means of an end cleat against which the chamfered. rear edge of the plate is adapted to abut, and adjustable dogs engaging the chamfered side edges of the plate, a construction which necessitated a heavy cleat and a considerable number of grooves for the retaining dogs arranged with more or less mathematical accuracy so as to permit the mounting of plates of dif erent lengths upon the cylinder. Further- I more, owing to severe frictional stresses to which the plate is subjected, particularly during the action of the wipin cloths thereon, considerablenumber of tliese side dogs were used, sometimes eight or ten upon each side, so as to relieve the end cleat as much as possible from the shearing action from the hardened edge of the plate resultin; from the tendency of the plate to creep circumferentially of the cylinder as a result of such friction stresses.

In actual practice, it has been found that with the loosening of the dogs, the friction stresses are apt to be suf'liciently great to cut even a heavy eud cleat, flush with the adjacent surface of the cylinder, and thus necessitate the shut-down of the press and a complete readjustment thereof before the run can be resumed. Even though the shearing action does not out completely through this cleat, it will readily be appreciated that any circumferential displacementof the plate will result in unsatisfactory or imperfect work, particularly when, as n ine Work he shi t Of e thew sandth of an inch will havefthe effect of disturb ng the prec1sion of the relat on of parts necessary to secure good work,

\Vith the above conditions in mind, I have provided a form or plate cylinder wherein the end cleat and the side dogs will be substantially relieved. from their function of binding the plate to the cylinder, and will serve mainly as guides for securing accurate positioning of the plate for purposes of.

adjustment for register, the holding ofthe plate upon the cylinder in any adjusted po sition being secured by means of electrosurface of the plate, or in the perimeter of the cylinder. The mechanical holding means are also utilized in accurately positioning the plate during the make-ready and for shifting'the plate upon thecylin-' der before the electromagnets are energized.

The plate may be conveniently"mounted upon and removed from the cylinder by merely de -energiZing the magnet.

In conjunction with thejutilization'of an electro magnet or magnets, I provide means whereby minute movement of the plate longitudinally of the cylinder for facilitating adjustment of the plate for lateral register, is possible, and transmit power to the cylinder through a worm gear and shaft connection between the cylinder and the 'magnets. Such magnets'will afford large" power shaft, which will permit minute Cir".

of sa d d e The invention consists primarily in a form or plate cylinder embodying therein an electromagnet, the poles ofwhich eX- tend circumferentially about the cylinder, and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface; and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to be within the magnetic field, and means controlling the circuit to said magnet, and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointedout in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the (-l-rawings,

Fig, 11 is, a view partly in, elevation and partly in section, with. a portion of one of theprintin plates broken away, showing a form or plate cylinder embodying. my invention;

Fig, 2. is an end view thereof from the right. of Fig. 17;. and

Fig, 3 is a detail View of a portion ofthe cylinder showingone of the side dogs.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, the form or plate cylinder shaft 10 is provided with an enlarged portion 1 1 rotatable therewith; Rotatably mounted upon the, enlarged portion 11 is V a hub 12 of theform or plate cylinder having at one. end, thereof a flange 13 and at the other end thereof a removable flange 14 having hub- 15 bearing upon the Shaft 10 I Arranged side by side upon the hub 12 are a sequence of" rings 16, 17,. I8, 19', .20,

21 and, 223,. these rmgs being; formed of castiron or other magnetic material. The adjacent side facesof each of said rings are so recessed as shown, within the perimeter of the. ring. and adjacent the hub 12 as to form in the assembled cylinder, a series of annular pockets adapted to receive electromagnets 23, 24, 25,26, 27 and 28 which are annular in form and extend circumferenti-ally about the entire cylinder within said pockets respectively. At different points about the cylinder are transverse openings 29' which extend through all of the rings 16 to 22, between the heads thereof and's'aid' under-surface printing plate is formed of a plurality of circumferentially extending opposed magnetic poles, the plate itself forming an armature common to all of said poles.

Theform: or plate cylinder for an undersurfaoe printing press is subjected to varying, and at times severe, stresses applied tl i-rou'gh the printing plate, and to avoid possibility of distortion of the plate from the presenceof gaps in the surface upon which the plate'lies, I close the; gaps between succeeding rings by means ofshouldered rings 80, 31,. 32, 33', 3e and 35" of brass or other non-magnetic material, which will provide an uninterrupted bearing surface upon the cylinder without interfering with the magnetic flux or the tract-ion at the poles of the various magnets, upon the printing plate.

'l-o'si-mplify the construction of the cylinder, I support and maintain the various rings 30 to in relation to the rings 16 to. 22 by means of shoulders formed upon said last named rings adapted to receive the shoulders upon said" first named rings.

The arrangement of the co-operating abutting shouldersupon the magnetic and non-magnetic rings may be varied at will, the arrangement in the drawings being one prompted by convenience in the assembling of the cylinder structure, the construction shown contemplating themounting of' the cylinder 19 upon the hub 12' in the first instance and the building up of the cylinder by mounting the other ringsu'pon opposite sides of the this central ring. lVith the construction shown, the head or rim of the magnetic ring section 1'9 is provided with shoulders 36 and 37 upon opposite sides thereof adapted to be engaged by the shoulders of the non-magnetic rings and 38. The magnetic ring sections 20 and 21 are providedwith shoulders 38an'd 39 respectively, presented toward the end of the cylind'cr to the left, which shoulders receive the shmrlders upon the non-magnetic rings 3'8 and 39', while the magnetic rings 17 and 18' are provided with shoulders 40 and 41 presented toward theend of the cylinder to the right, which shoulders ctr-operate wi h the nonunagnetic rings 30 and 31.

in the construction above described, each of the rings 16 to 22 consists of an enlarged lieu-b portion, an enlarged rim or perimeter, and a connecting reduced flange, the space between adjacent flanges forming pockets for the eleetroinagtnets. 'lhehub portions of the several rings are in contact while the headsare spaced, apart by rings of non magnetic material so as to provide a continuous bearing" surface for the plate or plates and present well defined magnetic poles. The rings of non-magnetic material are rigidly supported the rings of magto be rotatable therewith, said hub in its entirety being rotatably mounted-upon the shaft or the enlarged cylindricalportion 11 thereof, but receiving power therefrom in a manner to be hereinafter described.

The detailed construction of the various n'iagnetic coils 23 to 28 is immaterial to the invention, and may be varied indefinitely ac cording to the size of the cylinder and the potential of the current used. The coils may be connected in multiple or in series as clesired, or as may be required to secure the desired attractive force in the magnet. The electrical conditions are nuatters' of skill in the art of electromagnets and except in those mechanical details by which the magnetic flux is so controlled as to adapt the magnet for use in a rotating plate cylinder, and when considered in their broader aspects, form no part of the present invention. 7

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the electrical connections of the several magnets merely diagrammatically, the lead 42 being connected by means of a terminal wire 43 with a collector ring 44 carried by, rotatable with, and insulated from the shaft 10, and the lead 45 being'electrically connected with the collector ring 46, also carried by, rotatable with, and insulated from said shaftby means of a terminal wire 17.

The curr nt is conducted from any desired source of power to said collector rings by means of the brushes 18 and 49, there being arranged in the circuit to said brushes any desired form of switch so as to permit the electromagnets to be energized or de energized at will. I The perimeter of the composite cylinder constructed as above described, has a longitudinally extending undercut groove therein adapted to receive a cleat against which the rear edge of the printing plate A or B is adapted to abut. One such cleat is used with each plate so that when the cylinder is adapted to carry two plates as shown in the drawings, there will'be two such grooves 51 and 52' and two such cleats 53 and 54. mounted in said grooves respectively,

Since the traction of the magnet upon the printing platesA and B will be sufiiciently great to positively hold them against displacement under the stresses thereon from the wiping cloths or the impression cylinder, particularly the former, said cleats 53 and 54 may be made of non-magnetic metal or other material which will not intermore effective.

fere with the magnetic flux, compressive strength not being a material factor in said cleats since any stresses which'they will be subjected to will be those resulting from magnetic slippage between the magnets of the cylinder and the plate constituting the armature. In actual practice, I have found no tendency of the developmentof any severe shearing stresses upon s'aid'cleats by the plate, and attribute this to the substantially total absence of any such slippage.

I have found in actual practice, that I se curebetter results by channeling the outer face of the several rings 16 to 22 and inserting therein respectively curved plates or' interrupted rings 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, and 61,

said rings being secured in place by means of screws, or in any other desired manner. These plates are used because with the construction shown, the polarity of opposite sides of each ring is dissimilar and the presence of an uninterrupted magnetic circuit throughout and adjacent the entire surface of the periphery ofeach of the rings 16 to 2-2 was found to interfere with the magnetic fiux,'through the plate as an armature. By the use of such plates, I have found that with the construction shown, the magnetic flux is limited to! a' path across the rings 30 to 35 and that the traction of the various plate Aor B was made magnets upon the Extending longitudinally of the cylinder area plurality of undercut grooves62, three of such grooves being shown associated with each of the grooves 51 and 52. These grooves 62 are adapted to receive edge clamps or dogs 63 which are slidably mounted therein and adapted to engage the side edges of, and position, the plates A and B laterally thereof upon the'cylinder, the cleat 53 or 54, positioning the plate lengthwise thereof.

The clamps or dogs 63 are used upon opposite sides of the press, and to permit the use of plates of different widths and also to permit adjustment of the plate for lateral register, I provide means co-operating with each of said clamps, whereby it may be positively adjusted laterally with a more or less minute adjustment for securing such 'regis-.

adapted to receive an adjustment screw'65,

the inner end of which is adapted to bear upon the clamp or dog 63. The end of the screw is squared as shown to permit the use of a wrench thereon, and mounted thereon is a lock nut 66. i I

No precision is required in the location of-the grooves 62, their arrangement merely being such as to provide suficient range in.

the action of the side clamps upon the plate to ensure the desired side barriers or edge guides.

The edges of of the cleats 61 are undercut in theusual msanner'so as to engage the chamfered or rounded edge of the plate and force it toward the surface of the cylinder.

Longitudinal adjustment of the plate or its adjustment circumferentially of the cylinder is secured by bodily rotation of the cylinder with relation: tothe shaft 10-, this result being secured by means of a circular rack 67 carried by and rotatable withithe. shaft 10, and a worm shaft 68 carried by and rotatable-with the composite magnetic form or plate cylinder- In this manner the power for rotating said cylinder is transmitted thereto from the shaft 10 through said worm gear and shaft, and minute circumferential movement of the cylinder about said shaft 10 may be secured, it being necessary, of course to stop the machine while such ad"- justment is being made.

The operation of the herein described mechanism is substantially as follows In assembling a cylinder made in accordance with my invention, the various rings 16 to 22 are successively mounted upon the hub 12, the ring. magnets 23 to 28 and the non-magneticrings 30-to 35 being positioned as the said rings are being assembled. By having the flange 13 removable as well as the flange 14:, the central ring 19 may be mounted first upon the cylinder, and the other rings'mounted upon opposite sides thereof. The manner of assembling the cylinder, however, is one largely of convenience, it being necessary to form the cylinder in magnetic sections separable one from the other in order to permit the mounting of the spools carrying the windings therein. 7 V

7 When the various non-magnetic rings have been assembled and the cylinder properly mounted in a press, with the cleats 54: in position, an undersurface, engraved, or intaglio steel printing. plate or plates may be placed upon the cylinder'so formed and secured temporarily in place by means of ,the said clamps or dogs 63 which will suffice to permit the making of proofs for the purpose of securing. proper adjustment of the printing plate for register. The movement of the printing plate for register lengthwise thereof is secured by means of the worm gear or'segment 67 and its cooperating worm shaft'GS, while lateral adjustment thereof is secured by means of the dogs or clamps63 and the screws 6.5 acting thereon. V

l Vhen the proper register has been secured, the lock nut 66 may be tightened to avoid possible loss of register through shifting of the plate laterally thereof,

the clamps or dogs 63 and:

While the side clamps or dogs 63 and the cleat 54 will, by reason of the bevelled overhang thereon, force the printing plate into engagement with the face of the cylinder, the clamping action is not sufficiently strong to hold said plate against circumferential movement as a result of the constantly repeated longitudinal stresses due to the contact of. the wiping cloths and the impression cylinder therewith.

When. the plates. A and B, or either of thein if only one plate be used, have once been properly positioned, the switch is closed, thus energizing. the several -m.agnets 23: to 28 w rich will attract the steel plates A and B to the cylinder throughout a sufficiently large area of the plate to ensure a positive holding of the plate upon the cylinder i-rrespectiveof said. cleats or clamps, the

attraction being sufficiently great toprevent any displacement of the plate as a result of the stresses of the wiping. cloths or the impression cylinder above referred to. v

lhe presence of the rings 80 to 35 of nonmagnetic metal wi-ll form the necessary gap between those portions of the outer faces of each of the rings 16 to 22, which form the poles of the magnet to ensure the magnetic flux passing through. the plate as an armature, and will at the same time afford a rigid backing. for the plate intermediate said poles and flush therewith. The plates to 61, which are made of brass or' other non-magnetic material, will divide the outer face of each of the rings 16 to22 in a manner to form. two well defined poles of the desired area at the side edges of each of'said rings 16 to 22 solely, these plates also being flush with the face of the poles with which the plate A or B engages. I

It will thus be observed that the steel plates A and B are afforded a continuous backing which will, resist any deformation thereof as a result of the heavy pressures to whichtthey are subjected, particularly dur- 1n" the impression interval, andduring' the impression interval w ll thus cause a continuing equal pressure throughout the entire surface of the plates A and B with a resultant clean imprint. i

The terminal wires 43 and at? may be connected with the collector rings {l l' andd-G in any dcsired manner to permit that small circiunferential adjustment oft-he composite cylinder with relation to the shaft 10 by means of the segmental worm wheel (37 and its co operating shaft 68 in the manner above referred to. The particular manner of wiring is immaterial to the invention, and is not therefore shown in detail in the accompanying drawings. 2

If it be desired to further adjust the printing plate for register, it is merely nec essary to interrupt the circuit to the magnet wh ch Wil permit h e mminen Qt the plate upon the cylinder by means of the dogs or clamps 63, which dogs or clamps will sufiice to hold the plate upon the cylinder when the magnet is de-energized.

With a cylinder made in accordance with my invention, the mounting of the printing plate thereon during the make-ready of the press is very much simplified, not only because of the small number of side clamps or dogs used, but of the absence of any necessity for any accurate positioning of these clamps circumferentially of the cylinder with relation to the plate. This latter is due to the fact that the attraction of the magnet upon the plate extends to the forward edge thereof by reason of the circun'iferentially extending poles of the magnet, and hence under no conditions of pressure can there be any tendency of this forward edge to move away from. the cylinder, and hence no clamps or dogs jacent this edge.

From the foregomg it will follow that steel plates of different lengths may be readily mounted upon the cylinder irrespective of the location of the holding clamps or dogs.

It is to be observed that a cleat isused only at the rear edge of the plate'in the direction of rotation of'the cylinder, and that by reason of the plate being held upon the cylinder by magnetic attraction, this cleat is relieved from practically all shearing stresses from the rear edge of the hardened steel plate.

This last characteristic of a cylinder made in accordance with my invention is of great importance, since the slightest circumferential creeping of the plate as aresult of the penetration of the rear edge thereof into the cleat, will result in a loss of register and may spoil considerable work before the error is detected and corrected. Experience has demonstrated that the side clamps or dogs cannot be relied upon to prevent such creepage of the plate with certainty.

It is not my intention to limit the in vention to the precise details of construction shown in the drawings, it being apparent that such may be varied without depart ing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A form or plate cylinder embodying therein an electromagnet, the poles of which extend circumferentially about the cylinder and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to be within the magnetic field, and means controlling the circuit to said magnet.

2. A form or plate cylinder embodying therein an elccl'romagnet, the poles of which are required ad-' thereon so as to operatively engage the rear edge of a printing plate.

3. A form. or 'plate cylinder embodying therein an electromagnet, the poles of which extend circumferentially about the cylinder and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to be Within the magnetic field, means controlling the circuit to said magnet, said cylinder having longitudinally extending slots in the face thereof, and dogs adiustably mounted in said slots and adapted to engage opposite edges of a plate upon'the cylinder.

a. A form or plate cylinder embodying therein an electromagnet, the poles of which extend circumferentially about the cylinder and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to bejwithin the magnetic field, means controlling the circuit to said magnet, a cleat positioned thereon so as to operatively engage the rear edge of a printing plate, said cylinder having longitudinally extending slots in the face thereof, and dogs adjustably mounted in said slots and adapted to engage opposite edges of a plate upon the cylinder.

5. A form or plate cylinder embodying ice therein an electromagnet, the poles of which 1 extend cireumferenti'ally about the cylinder and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause aplate positioned upon. the cylinder to be within the magnetic field, means controlling the circuit to said magnet, Ia cleat positioned thereon so as to operatively engage the rear edge of a printing plate, said cylinder being loosely mounted upon a power shaft, and adjustable means imparting circumferential movement to the cylinder with relation to the shaft and operatively connecting the cylinder with the shaft. r

field, and means controlling the circuit to said magnet.

7. A form or plate cylinder embodyin therein a sequence of recessed pocket-fornn ing rings of magnetic material, rings of noncircumferentially magnetic material positioned between said flux is set up in the material of said pocket-- forming rings and avplate uponthe cylinder will be within the magnetic held, and means controlling the circuit to said magnet.

8. A former plate cylinder embodying therein a sequence of recessed pocket-forming rings of magnetic materiahrings of non magnetic material positioned between said rings adjacent the surface thereof, a plurality o f ,electromagnets in the pockets formed by said rings, whereby a-n'iagnetic flux is set up in the material of said pocketiorming rings and a plate upon the cylinder will be within the magnetic field, means controlling the circuitto said magnet, sai'd rin'gs ofmagnet-ic material having a circnmferem tial recess thereimand plates of non-magnetic material seated in said recesses and 1' arranged substantially {flush with the surface of said rings, whereby the traction of said rings is concentrated adjacent the opposite edges thereof. 7 l I,

Q. A form or plate cylinder embodying therein a sequence of recessed pocket-forum ing rings of magnetic material, said rings having longitudinally extend ng openings theret'hrough to permit a circulation of air about saidmagnets-and said rings, rings of non-magnetic material positioned between said rings adjacent the surface thereof, a plurality of electromagnets in the pockets formed by said rings, "whereby a magnetic flux is set up in the material ofsaid pocketforming rings and a plate upon the cylinder will be within the magnetic held, and inc-ans controlling the circuit to said magnet,

10. A form 'or plate cylinder embodying therein an=e-lectromagnet, the poles of which extend circumterentially about the cylinder, and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause'a' plate positioned upon the cylinder to be within the magnetic lield, means controlling the circuit to said ma net said 0 linder having longitudinally extending undercut slots inthe surface thereof upon opposite ends of the cylinder, edge clamps slidably 'mounted in said slots, respectively, and means carried by the end of the cylinder adjacent each,

oi said clamps adapted to act upon said clamps respectively to adjust them longitudinally of the cylinder. 7 V

Y 11. A form or plate cylinder embodying therein an -electroma-gnet,the poles of which extend circumferentially about the cylinder, and form a part of a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to be within the magnetic field, means controlling the circuit to said magnet, said cylinder having longitudinally extending undercut slo'tsin the surface thereof upon opposite ends of the cylinder, edge clamps slidably mounted in said slots respectively, a plate extendingacross each of said undercut slotsand having a screw-threaded opening t'herein, and an adjustment screw mounted in said opening and adapted to engage the end of the clamp.

12. A form -or plate cylinder embodying therein an electromagnet, the poles of which extend c-ircum-ferentially about the cylinder, and form a part of -a smooth cylindrical surface and are so arranged as to cause a plate positioned upon the cylinder to be within the magnetic field, means controlling the circuit to said magnet, a chat positioned thereon so as to operatively engage therear edge of a printing plate, said cylinder being I loosely mounted upon itstpower shaft, and means transmitting Ipower from said shaft to the cylinder while permitting adjustment of the cylinder circumierentially oi the shaft, consisting of a worm gear carried by the shaft and a worm screw rotatably mounted upon the cylinder and co-operating with said wormgear, whereby minute circumiterential adjustment of the cylinder with relation to the shaft may be accomplished,

In witness whereof I. have hereunto af-i fixed my signature, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 1st day otfFebruary,1922. I 

